The Afro-Semitic Experience: Live in Concert

Thursday, March 26, 2026
7:00 pm

What happens when African American musical traditions and Jewish musical traditions meet — not as a fusion experiment, but as a shared language of history, resilience, and joy?

The Afro-Semitic Experience answers that question with music that is soulful, searching, celebratory, and deeply human. Rooted in jazz, blues, gospel, swing, klezmer, and improvisation, the Afro-Semitic Experience creates a powerful musical conversation that honors the distinct histories of Black and Jewish communities while illuminating the profound connections between them.

This live concert brings together master musicians who approach music as both artistry and dialogue. Expect soaring melodies, rhythmic interplay, moments of introspection, and bursts of joy. This is music that remembers, reclaims, and reimagines tradition in real time.

Whether you come for the jazz, the Jewish musical roots, the cultural exchange, or simply the thrill of live performance, the Afro-Semitic Experience Live in Concert promises an evening that resonates long after the final note.

About the Performers

Warren Byrd — piano
Co-founder of The Afro-Semitic Experience, Warren Byrd is an acclaimed jazz pianist and composer whose work draws on an expansive musical life shaped by church, jazz tradition, and wide-ranging collaboration. His playing brings both fire and spaciousness—equally at home in groove-driven celebration and reflective, searching moments.

David Chevan — bass
Co-founder David Chevan is a bassist and composer whose musical roots span synagogue singing, gospel groups, klezmer bands, and contemporary jazz/improvisation. His work—including compositions that meld jazz improvisation with Jewish liturgy—helps anchor the ensemble’s sound with both depth and forward motion.

Will Bartlett — tenor saxophone, clarinet, flute
Will Bartlett brings decades of professional experience across jazz and Latin/salsa worlds, contributing a bold melodic voice and a wide palette of reed colors. In performance, his lines move easily from bluesy warmth to bright, dancing clarity.

Alvin Carter, Jr. — drums
Alvin Carter, Jr. is a drummer whose playing blends drive, sensitivity, and deep pocket—supporting everything from swing to gospel-inflected grooves. Presenter bios also note his work as an educator and preacher, bringing both musical authority and spirit to the bandstand.

Saskia Laroo — trumpet
Saskia Laroo is a pioneering trumpet stylist with an international career and a sound that can cut bright and brassy or turn lyrical and tender in an instant. Her voice adds both sparkle and edge—lifting melodies and improvisations into the air.

Jocelyn Pleasant — percussion
Jocelyn Pleasant is a percussionist and educator whose artistry brings texture, pulse, and polyrhythmic energy to the ensemble’s Afro-diasporic foundation. Her work helps the group’s rhythms feel not just played, but lived—propelling the music forward with joy and intention.

Orice Jenkins — guitar and vocals
Orice Jenkins is a vocalist, guitarist, recording artist, and educator whose soulful presence adds a human, storytelling immediacy to the ensemble’s sound. He’s also noted for work that spans genres and for leadership in music education—bringing both artistry and community-minded purpose to performance.

$18 per person

Tickets

An evening of music, meaning, and connection—where traditions don’t just coexist, they converse.